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Ranger X
thumb|250px|The box art for Ranger X. Ranger X, known as Ex-Ranza (エクスランザー) in Japan, was a side scrolling run and gun shoot 'em up developed in 1993 by Nex Entertainment, then still known as GAU Entertainment and published by Sega in 1993. Storyline Rahuna forces have invaded your homeplanet. You must pilot the powered exoskeleton Ranger X alongside support vehicles, Ex-Ups, to stop the invasion. Gameplay The player assumes the role of Ranger X, with their actual character never seen until the PS image after the staffroll cinematic. Ranger X is equipped with a jet pack and an assortment of weapons, all but three of which must be located in the various levels. Starting weapons are the standard pulse rifle, a shockwave cannon and a flamethrower. Several other weapons are hidden and therefore must be found. Two additional weapons can be utilized via cheat codes, including a weak homing weapon that does not use solar energy. To recharge weapon energy Ranger X must enter a bright light source. This can cause problems in subterranean levels, where he must blast open skylights in the ceiling with his pulse rifle to be able to recharge. The jet pack allows for short periods of flight, the duration of which is limited by the jet pack's temperature, which continues to increase as the jet pack is used. Upon overheating, the player must land and wait for cool down; however the cool down is very short and does not greatly limit gameplay. On all levels, the player may also control a supporting vehicle - an Ex-Up. Though not in all levels, the primary Ex-Up is Indra, a futuristic motorcycle, a premise described as "RoboCop on a Harley". Indra can be moved and can fire independently of Ranger X, although Ranger X can enter it to take advantage of its separate shielding. To move Indra, Ranger X must be squatting. The other Ex-Up featured is a giant airship, which cannot be controlled and simply slowly trails after Ranger X. However, its attack is significantly stronger than that of Indra. Ex-Ups are also used to switch equipped special weapons; this is the only way to do so. The game is split across several levels, each of which is introduced via a wire frame 3D cutscene detailing a specific target objective. The player must battle through enemy forces and destroy all target objectives, followed by the stage boss, in order to progress to the next level. There are 8 total levels in the game. Reception Critical reception was generally positive. Mega praised the tactical opportunities offered by the different weaponry, and the need to manage the supporting vehicle. Similar sentiments were echoed in Sega Force Mega and GamePro, who felt that "the unique dual action of flying and riding a motorcycle gives this game a step up against over other shooters". The graphics impressed, with some reviews claiming that Ranger X had broken through the Mega Drive hardware's colour limitations. Almost every aspect of the graphics were praised, from the detail of the backgrounds, to the clarity of the sprites, and even the presentation of the cutscenes. EGM felt that Ranger X featured "some of the best graphics ever seen on the Drive". MegaTech however, noticed that the game exhibited "a bit of sprite flicker when things get busy". Not all criticism was positive however; while some felt the difficulty was just right, and welcome in an age of "too-easy games", others felt that it could be too difficult for novices. Some reviewers at EGM also found the controls lacking, making effective movement difficult and frustrating. Still, the game received recommendations from the majority of critics, with Mega concluding that "it's so chocka full of imagination, that you'll be left wondering why other shoot 'em ups are so repetitive". Category:Games by Nex Entertainment Category:Games By Sega Category:Mega Drive Games Category:Genesis Games Category:Shooters Category:Shoot 'em ups Category:Run and Guns Category:90's Games